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ANIMAL ACTION ABC

Name: ANIMAL ACTION ABC
Author: Karen Pandell
ISBN: 0-525-45486-1

by Karen Pandell & photographed by Art Wolfe & Nancy Sheehan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1996

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The alphabet in this book functions more as a framework than it does a primer in letters. It pairs verbs—arch, balance, charge, drink—with an animal engaged in that activity and a poem describing it. Brightly clad children superimposed against a backdrop of wildlife photographs imitate the animal actions. The wildlife and child photography is visually stimulating in concert, but the (just barely) rhyming text rarely extends the images and more often lacks the alacrity needed for a harmonious collaboration. There's no ``L is for leopard'' here; the sleepy leopard may be found under N, for Nap. A short glossary of each animal's habitat and behavior may interest older readers who will not care about learning letters or simulating the actions. For a stronger illustration of the same concept, see Jean Marzollo and Jerry Pinkney's Pretend You're a Cat (1990), which stretches minds as well as bodies. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-525-45486-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1996

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
SAINT FRANCIS SINGS TO BROTHER SUN
adapted by Karen Pandell & illustrated by Bijou Le Tord

MISS BINDERGARTEN GETS READY FOR KINDERGARTEN

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MISS BINDERGARTEN GETS READY FOR KINDERGARTEN

by Joseph Slate & illustrated by Ashley Wolff ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1996

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An inviting look at the first day of school in Miss Bindergarten's class. The simple rhyming text tells how the animal children get ready for the big event; as a bonus, the names of the students are listed alphabetically, each first letter corresponding to its animal type (Jessie is a jaguar, Zak is a zebra, etc.): ``Gwen McGunny/packs her bunny./Henry Fetter/fights his sweater.'' The procession is interspersed with the preparations of Miss Bindergarten, aided by her pet cockatoo, in her classroom. Wolff's fine illustrations add texture to a fairly simple concept. The teacher is depicted as an efficient sheepdog; eager and organized, she tapes notes on her furniture reminding her to ``have fun,'' yet forgets to take the price tag off her dress. The use of extinct animals for the more obscure letters only adds to the fun. In this soothing introduction to an anxiety-filled event, Slate (Who Is Coming to Our House?, 1988, etc.) makes the first day a pleasure for everyone involved. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-525-45446-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1996

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
I WANT TO BE FREE
by Joseph Slate and illustrated by E.B. Lewis

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT STAR IS THIS?
by Joseph Slate & illustrated by Alison Jay

- BOOK REVIEW
THE GREAT BIG WAGON THAT RANG
by Joseph Slate & illustrated by Craig Spearing

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HAPPY EASTER FROM THE CRAYONS

by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 7, 2023

Let these crayons go back into their box.

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The Crayons return to celebrate Easter.

Six crayons (Red, Orange, Yellow, Esteban, who is green and wears a yellow cape, White, and Blue) each take a shape and scribble designs on it. Purple, perplexed and almost angry, keeps asking why no one is creating an egg, but the six friends have a great idea. They take the circle decorated with red shapes, the square adorned with orange squiggles “the color of the sun,” the triangle with yellow designs, also “the color of the sun” (a bit repetitious), a rectangle with green wavy lines, a white star, about which Purple remarks: “DID you even color it?” and a rhombus covered with blue markings and slap the shapes onto a big, light-brown egg. Then the conversation turns to hiding the large object in plain sight. The joke doesn’t really work, the shapes are not clear enough for a concept book, and though colors are delineated, it’s not a very original color book. There’s a bit of clever repartee. When Purple observe that Esteban’s green rectangle isn’t an egg, Esteban responds, “No, but MY GOSH LOOK how magnificent it is!” Still, that won’t save this lackluster book, which barely scratches the surface of Easter, whether secular or religious. The multimedia illustrations, done in the same style as the other series entries, are always fun, but perhaps it’s time to retire these anthropomorphic coloring implements. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Let these crayons go back into their box. (Picture book. 3-5)